Index or directory



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A.. H. MARTIN. INDEX 0B, DIREGTORY. No. 474,479. Patented May 10, 1892. Q i; 1Q

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' 3 Sheets-Sheet B. A. H. MARTIN.

INDEX OE DIRECTORY. No. 474,479.

Patented May 10, 1892.

'Nrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR H. MARTIN, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

INDEX OR DIRECTORY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 474,479, dated May 10, 1892.

Application led October 30, 1891. Serial No. 410,384. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that LARTHUR H. MARTIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Indexes or Directories, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to indexes or directories which are available for use particularly by book-keepers, although, as will be apparent from the description hereinafter given, the same is capable of advantageous use as atelcphone index or directory, or one which is useful in various occupations.

The purpose of the invention is to provide an index which will comprise the entire range of subject-matter necessary to be indexed, and Which,While of very inexpensive and compact construction, will be susceptible of most rapid and advantageous use or manipulation by the book-keeper or other per-` son, and whereby the latter requires the use of but one hand, the other hand being free and uninterrupted for posting or other work.

Another object of the invention is to increase the scope or capacity of the index of a given number of sheets or tablets, and, furthermore, the invention is designed to otherwise improve the devices to the ends of economy, durability, and efliciency.

The invention consistsin the constructions and arrangements or combinations of parts, all substantially as will hereinafter more fully appear, and be set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of the views.

Figure l is a general or perspective view of the improved index, the same being illustrated in its manner of use by abook-keeper. Figs. 2 and 3 are opposite side views of the superposed index-sheets to illustrate the arrangement of the index-tags for the double index. Fig. 4 is a detail view of a form of tag-blank which may be employed. Fig. 5 is a side or face view of the index with one of the inclosing sides removed and one of the index sheets or tablets drawn out as in use. Fig.

6 represents in perspective the supporti ng and inclosing casing for the index with the front side thereof removed, and also shows separating and guiding appliances for the .tablets or pages, Which latter are omitted from this view. Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective View of a device which may be comprised as a fixture in the index, to be hereinafter more particularly referred to.

In the drawings, A represents the supporting-frame, or, as more specifically and preferably constructed, the same may be characterized as a case having front and rear sides b b, upper and lower or end closing and uniting walls d d, and back wall b.

B B represent the series of tablets or sheets, which bear the indexes or indications, the same being provided with tags at different portions of their lengths, as most common in indexes. The said tablets are adapted to slide separately into and out from the supporting casing or frame. In order that when a sheet B is drawn out others thereof lying upon or next thereto may not also be drawn out by friction or from their weight resting upon the sheet desired to be exposed, separating or partitioning devices are provided, which are supported upon and within the casing, and which, while occupying slight space transversely with relation to the faces of the sheets B, are effective for the purpose indicated, and the same consists of flexible cord-like sections, which are secured and supported from different points, respectively, in the same plane upon and within the casing A, and aspecific and advantageous duplicated form of the devices last mentioned consists in the Wire or cord 2O or the like, which is secured to pins 21, which are in the same plane at the front edge of the casing at the top and bottom, and the second cord or wire, dto., 10, which is secured to pins ll Within the casing at top and bottom at the rear thereof and in the same plane as the front securing-points for the cord 20. The intermediate portion of the front and rear cords engage each other, and the cords being put under sufficient tension to keep them taut will, while presenting but a minimum of surface contact on and between the sheets, effectually separate them, and thereby avoid any material retardation of the sheets in their withdrawal.

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The pins 21, as shown, are applied at the rabbeted portions E at the front edges of the upper and lower casing-Walls a a, the said pins and the connection therewith of the wires 2O being covered or concealed by the strips a. The pins 11, to which the ends of the rearset of cords or wires 10 10 are attached,

are carried on the hinged members 12 of devices D, which are applied at the rear of the casing at top and bottom thereof. Each of the said devices D embodies, in addition to the hinged member 12, the securing-plate 18, to ear-pieces of which thehinging of themember12 is effected,and said part 12 is provid ed with the angularly-extended lug 13, through which the screw 15 passes, which, as indicated at 16, is engaged With the securingplate by a swiveling or ball-and-socket joint, and the thumb-screw 14, which is applied to force the member 13 toward the plate 18, serves as the means for effecting the tension on the cords 10 and 20.

In order to provide safeguards against the Withdrawal from the case of the index sheets or tablets farther than necessary to expose the entire available space thereof, I provide stop devices for the individual sheets, a form thereof, as illustrated, consisting of the cords 25, secured to the common pin 26 at the rear of the casing and respectively to the rear portions of the sheets B, as at 27. The sheets of course may only be drawn out until the cords 25 are taut, and when the sheets or tablets are replaced the cords 25 slacken and lie as loops or as they happen to dispose themselves between the sheets separated by the partitioning devices hereinbefore substantially set forth.

In order that undue Weight may not be brought upon the separatingcord devices when the index-case is laid flat on its side in use, which would cause them to sag and thereby cause such a bind upon the intermediate or lower sheets B that their withdrawal or replacement would become difficult, I have deemed it desirable to provide rigid sub-partitions C Within the casing at suitable intervals-say, for instance, between every eight or ten sheets, more or less-Which partitions may be of Wood of suitable thickness or of appropriate material, and therefore it will be seen that, While in an index of this character itis undesirable to have numerous partitions of Wood or the like, which for the necessary rigidity would be comparatively thick and thereby When applied between all of the sheets the index Would become too large and unwieldy, by the arrangement of the continuous and rigid partitions C at intervals, in conjunction with cord separating appliances, accumulated Weight is avoided upon the intermediate and lowermost sheets.

I propose to utilize both sides of the indexsheets B and to have the tags therefor bear indexletters on both of their sides, and thereby by merely turning the case over after having used one of the indexes, the other may be brought into use, and in the drawings, Figs. 2 and 3, as well as in Fig. 1, the last-mentioned capability Will be thoroughly understood, for the tags fdo not overlap, and thereby either side of the tags, which are arranged in the usual step-form, may be seen when the casing A has the one or the other side uppermost, as the case may be.

In Fig. 4, F indicates a blank for forming a two-faced tag, consisting of the ears or portion f at the extremities, with the intermediate portion on which theindex letters or characters are placed. By folding the blank on the dotted line f,with the letters outermost, and cementing the ears to the index-sheet B, a simple and durable form of double tag is secured. Other forms of tags may, however, be provided, as usual.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In an index, the combination, With a supporting frame or casing and a series of index sheets or tablets supported and guided therein and adapted to be withdrawn for the exposure of the indications thereon, of a series of index-sheet-separating devices consisting of Wire or cord-like sections connected to the casin g at different points thereof, respectively, in the same plane and having portionswhich intermediately traverse said plane, and the said planes comprising said-points of connection and disposition being parallel with the said index-sheets, substantially as described.

2. In an index, the combinatiomwith a supporting frame or casing and a series of parallel index sheets or tablets supported and guided therein, of a series of index-sheet-separating devices consisting o1' Wire or cord-like sections connected to the casing at different points thereof, respectively, in the same plane with portions thereof which intermediately traverse said plane, and devices for securing a tension on the cord-like sections, for the purpose set forth.

In an index, the combination, with a frame or casing and a series of parallel index sheets or tablets supported and guided therein, of a series of separating devices for the sheets, consisting of Wire or cord-like sections connected to the casing at different points thereof, respectively, in the same plane with portions thereof which intermediately traverse said plane, and one or more continuous and rigid partitions C, provided Within the casin g between series of said cord-formed separating devices, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In an index, the combination, with a casing of the series of index-sheets supported and guided therein, of a series of cords 20, which by their ends are secured to different points of the casing, respectively, in the same plane, and another series of cords 10, Which by their end portions are connected at suitable supporting parts therefor within the casing in planes respectively corresponding with IOO IIO

the points of connection of the first set of 10, having their ends connected to the memcords and said sets of cords by intermediate bers 12 and arranged in the same planes as the portions thereof engaging each other, and cords 2O and by intermediate portions theremeans for effecting the tension on one set-0f of engaging said latter cords, substantially as 5 the cords, substantially as described. described and shown, and for the purposes 15 5. The combination, with the casin g having set forth.

the pins 21 and the set of cords 2O connected ARTHUR H. MARTIN. thereto, of the hinged members 12, applied Witnesses: on the casing and having the lug 13, and op- F. W. THOMAS,

Io erating-screw and set-nut, and the set of cords EMERY R. HIETT. 

